Numbering machines



Jan. 16, 1968 OSAMU AIJIMA NUMBERING MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Filed Oct. 22, 1965 Jan. 16,1968 osAMu AIJIMA 3 NUMBERING MACflINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 22, 1965 OSAMU AIJIMA Jan. 16, 1968 NUMBERING MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 7

Filed Oct. 22, 1965 FIG.6

Jan. 16, 1968 OSAMU ALHMA 3,363,548

NUMBERING MACHINES Filed Oct. 22, 1965- GShets-Sheet 4 Jan. 16, 1968 osAMU AlJlMA 3,363,

NUMBERING MACHINES I 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed 001;. 22, 1965 Jan. 16, 1968 NUMBERING MACHINES Filed Oct. 22, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 OSAMU AIJIMA 3,363,548 Q I United States 3,363,548 NUMBERING MACHINES Osamu Aijinia, Tokyo, Iapan, assignor to Spitaro Arai & 'Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, a corporation of Japan Fiied Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 500,536

Claims priority, appiication Japan, Apr. 8, 1965,

til/27,850 7 Claims. (Cl. 101-83) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A numbering machine with figure wheels and an indicating mechanism as well as means to repeat the same number including means to retract the type element to a non-impressionable position at Zero.

This invention relates to numbering machines.

Heretofore, a variety of numbering machines have been developed in which an indication means is provided to identically indicate the number corresponding to that carried on figure wheels and ready for imprinting.

In a conventional numbering machine of this nature, structural difficulties have been experienced in the mechanism for supporting a type element mounted on a figure wheel in its retracted non-impressionable position after returning the type element to a zero position, thus rendering the numbering machine inconvenient for practical use. Also, a ratchet mechanism for regulating the direction of rotation of an indicator wheel for indicating the number to be impressed or imprinted has required a supporting point for pivotally mounting a ratchet pawl thereon'and another supporting point for carrying a spring to regulate said ratchet mechanism, so that the mechanism is liable to difiiculties in engineering work and to a hindrance in view of the requirement for minituarization. Further in the conventional numbering machines with or without the indication means, a figure wheel has been formed by engraving type elements on the peripheral surface of a metallic piece and hence had such defects that. it is unsuitable for manufacture on a mass-production scale and that the replacement of wornout type elements is extremely diflicult. In addition, the prior art numbering machine has had such defects that an index means incorporated therein to indicate and regulate the number of impressions to be repeated comprises an index arranged in the order of 0, 1, 2, 6, 3, 12 and 4, and this arrangement of the index figures in which 6 and 12 are insertedly positioned between 2 and 3, and 3 and 4, respectively, is very confusing or misleading in view of the fact that the index must necessarily be very small in size, thus leading to misoperation and hence to a lowering of clerical efiiciency.

Further, a crank mechanism of the prior art construction which functions to actuate the index means and an ink roller has been complicated in construction so that a series of assembling processes have been required.

Accordingly, the principal object of this invention is to provide a numbering machine comprising a figure indication means which may positively and readily return the type element to a zero position by a single action.

Another object of this invention is to provide a numbering machine comprising a figure indication means in which the type element in its zero position may be positively and easily retracted to and held at a non-impressionable position by a single action.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a numbering machine comprising a figure indication means which may positively and easily select or set a desired number of impressions.

Patent A further object of this invention resides in the provision of a numbering machine in which figure wheels comprise base wheels on which molded type elements may be mounted.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a numbering machine in which an index plate is so arranged as to indicate the number of impressions to be repeated in numerical order.

Another object of this invention is to provide a numbering machine having a crank mechanism of which manufacturing processes may be minimized.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a numbering machine embodying this invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the numbering machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view showing the relation between a figure impression means and corresponding indication means;

FIG. 5 shows a front view of a figure wheel of the figure impression means shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a view showing a gear of the figure impression means as shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a cross section taken 7-7 of FIG. 4;

. FIG. 8 is a side elevation, partially broken, of a figure impression belt to be mounted on the wheel shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a plan View of the shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 shows a transversal cross section of the figure impression belt shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 shows a vertical cross section of a base Wheel of the figure wheel of this invention;

FIG. 12 shows a side elevation, partly in section, of a modification of the figure wheel for use in the numbering machine of this invention;

FIG. 13 shows a plan of the wheel shown in FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a side elevation, in section, illustrating another embodiment of the figure wheel of this invention;

FIG. 15 is a cross section of the figure wheel of a type as shown in FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a front elevation illustrating still another embodiment of the figure wheel of this invention with the side plate omitted;

FIG. 17 shows a side elevation of a type element to be mounted on the figure wheel shown in FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is an enlarged plan view of a ratchet mechanism located in the indication wheel of the indication means shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 19 is a cross sectional side elevation, partly broken, taken along the line 19-19 of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 shows a perspective view of an index means employed in this invention;

FIG. 21 shows a perspective view of the index means shown in FIG. 20, viewed from the opposite direction;

FIG. 22 shows a perspective view, partly in section and partly broken, of a sliding plate of the index means shown in FIG. 20;

FIG. 23 is a cross section taken along the line 23-23 of FIG. 20; and

FIG. 24 shows a schematic representation for explainpartially along the line figure impression belt -ing the function of a crank means which actuates the index means and an ink feeding means of this invention.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, 1 indicates a frame of an inverted letter U-shaped configuration which is made of metal or hard synthetic resin material. The frame 1 is provided with a groove (not shown) which extends over considerable iength of the inner wall surface thereof. The frame 1 is either securely connected. to or held in face to face contact, at its upper portion, with a hollow cylindrical member 2 through which an inner cylinder 4 is freely inserted as shown in FIG. 3. The upper end of said inner cylinder 4 is threaded to form a male screw 5 which threadably engages the female screw formed in a grip 6. The lower end of the inner cylinder 4 is firmly secured to an inverted letter U-shaped inner frame 7 at the upper portion of the latter as shown in: FIG. 3 in cross section, said inner frame being formed of a similar hard material as said frame 1. Although not viewed from the figures, the inner frame 7 is rounded at its free ends and arranged movable in vertical directions in such a manner that it does not engage the inner surface of the main frame 1 as it performs up-and-down movements. On this inner frame 7 are mounted various mechanisms which feature the present invention, as fully described hereinafter. The arrangement of the apparatus so far described is conventional.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 for describing the figure impression mechanism of this invention, the rounded free ends of the inner frame 7 are provided with perforations (not shown) through which a main shaft 9 having a groove 8 taking a concave form and cut axially therein at a predetermined angle with respect to a perpendicular of the axis thereof therein is inserted. The both ends of the shaft 9 which project from said rounded ends of the inner frame, respectively, are adapted to slidably engage the guide groove formed in the frame 1 so as to prevent the inner frame 7 from being out of position as it moves vertically. For the sake of brevity of illustration, component members corresponding to only a single figure wheel mechanism are shown to be rotatably mounted on the main shaft in FIG. 3. Such component members consist of and arranged in the order of a figure advancing cam 10, a figure wheel 11 and a gear 12 (dotted line). Each of these components, viz. the figure advancing cam 19, figure wheel 11 (see FIG. 5) and the gear 12 which are carried by the main shaft 9 has at its central portion a perforation 14 which is eccentric with respect to the main shaft 9. Said perforation 14 is provided with a projection 15 at a portion of its most increased diameter. When the figure wheel comes to a position ready to impress the figure 0, the perforation 14 functions to retract the numeral 0 from the impression face of the remaining figure wheels with the result that O is not impressed or imprinted, and at the same time to actuate the indication wheel to indicate 0 as described later in detail. The figure advancing cam has ten projections of equal spacings at its outer periphery and a reduced portion 13. As best shown in FIG. 5, a pin 16 is mounted on the figure wheel 11 at a point close to the groove 8 of the main shaft 9 and substantially is in alignment with the direction in which said groove 8 extends with respect to the axis of the main shaft 9. As shown in FIG. 6, in order to receive said pin 16 an elongated perforation 17 is formed in a gear 12 in the axial direction. The wheel 11 and the gear may be combined by the engagement of said elongated perforation 17 and said pin 16 and only the wheel 11 can perform up and down movements with respect to the advancing cams, as shown in FIG. 7.

Description will now be made to the particular arrangement of the figure wheel 11 which constitutes one of the features of this invention and which eliminates the defects encountered heretofore. The figure wheel of this invention generally consists of a figure impression belt and a base wheel. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 which illustrate one embodiment of the figure impression belt generally designated by 26, the belt comprises a strip 21 having its ends 22 and 23 bent and which is made of metal or hard plastics, type elements of a successive order of O to 9' integrally formed on said strip 21 with equal spacings by means of molding or press working, and projections 25 integrally formed on the reverse side of said strip at portions corresponding to the equally spaced type elements on the opposite side. The belt 26 of this construction is shown in cross section in FIG. 10. As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13 inclusive, the base wheel 32 comprises decagonal or polygonal flanges 27, 28 at its both sides, and a groove 29 defined by said flanges 27, 28 and forming a reduced portion of the base wheel 32. The base wheel also comprises gaps 3t) and 31 formed respectively in one of the apexes of each of the polygonal flanges, said gaps confronting with each other across the central groove 29. The figure impression belt 26 may be mounted on the outer periphery of the base wheel by fitting the projections 25 in said central groove 29 and inserting the end portions 22 and 23 of the belt into the gaps, thus constituting a figure wheel.

According to a modification of the figure wheel, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, an intermediate decagonal plate 44 is provided with dovetail grooves 43 formed in each of the sides 42 thereof and the projections 25 of the belt 26 are fitted into said dovetail grooves 43. Thereafter side plates 45 and 46 which are of the configuration identical with said intermediate plate so as to sandwich the latter therebetween. It is to be understood that each of the side plates is provided with a groove 41 in a manner similar to that of forming the groove 30 or 31 of the preceding embodiment to receive the end portions 22 and 23 of the belt 26. These component plates 45, 44, and 46 may be tightened by any suitable manner such as welding or riveting.

According to still another embodiment of the figure wheel of this invention, the arrangement of the base wheel may be equal to that shown in FIG. 14. However, the belt may be substituted with independent type elements formed by press or molding process. As shown in FIG. 16, dovetail grooves are cut in each of the sides of a polygonal base wheel 51. While as shown in FIG. 17, a letter 55 is formed on the surface of a type body 54 by means of press or molding and a projection 56 is formed on the opposite surface of said body 54, thus consistuting a type element. The projection 56 of each of the successively numbered type elements may be firmly fitted to the dovetail grooves 53 thereby securing the elements on the base wheel. It will be apparent that the grooves 41 for receiving the ends of the figure impression belt is unnecessary according to this embodiment.

Description will now be made with reference to the indication mechanism for indicating the number corresponding to that ready to be impressed. As shown in FIGS; 3 and 4, the figure impression gear 12 meshed with a pinion 60 which is axially rotatably mounted on a shaft 61 which in turn is secured to the intermediate portion of the inner frame '7 at its ends and forms the intermediate mechanism of the apparatus with said pinion 60. The pinion 60 is further meshed with an indication gear 62 at the opposite side. Said indication gear 62 is axially mounted on a shaft 63 which is pivotally secured to the side walls of the inner frame at a portion closer to a front cover 64, one end of said shaft 63 projecting outwardly from the main frame 1 through an elongated opening 66 (FIG. 2) perforated in the shoulder portion thereof and which permits the inner wall 7 to perform up-and-down movements, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, being connected with a knob 65 which functions to promote a smooth rotation of the shaft 63 by manual operation. The shaft 63 is provided with a V-shaped groove 67 (FIG. 19) along its length, which engages a ratchet mechanism to be described later. The indication gear 62 and the indication wheel 68 are firmly secured together by known means, such as riveting, and coaxially mounted on the shaft 63. Said indication wheel 68 has equally spaced l0 projections 69 on its circumference. On the circumferential spaces defined by the projections 69 are indicated a successive number of numerals say from 0 to 9 by an engraving process or other lettering process. By manually operating the projection a desired number for impression may be selected. It should be appreciated that the figures carried by each of a plurality of the axially aligned indication wheels must correspond exactly to those of the figure wheels, and thus When one of the wheels 11 is ready to impress or imprint the figure l the corresponding indication wheel must indicate the same fi ure which is visible through a Window 70 formed in the front cover 64.

The most important structural characteristic relative to the figure wheels and the corresponding figure indication means of this invention will follow.

When the figure wheel 11 comes to a zero position or a position ready to impress 0 so as to be ready but not intended to impress 0, the figure wheel must be retracted from the impression surface. In this case, however, the corresponding indicator wheel 6S must indicate the figure 0 as the figure Wheel 11. This may be achieved by arranging the indicator wheel 68 to be rotated by the figure gear 12 via the pinion 6t) and the indicator gear 68 in such a manner that a pin 16 of the figure wheel 11 may slidably move along a slit 17 formed in the figure impression gear 12 so that the rotation of the figure impression gear 12 is transmitted to the indicator Wheel 68 irrespective of the up-and-down movements of the figure wheel 11. In other words, the figure wheel 11 can work so as not to impress the figure 0 by raising this figure Wheel upwards (or 0 falling operation) above letters on other wheels to be impressed. In this case, the indicator wheel is required to indicate the letter Said 0 falling operation is performed when the wheel 11 is raised upwards so that the projection of Wheel 11 falls in groove 8 of shaft 9. The reason why wheel 11 is pulled upwards is because Wheel 11, attached to advancing cam 16, is always pulled upwards by it. In this case, the figure wheel 11 is raised upwards and independently of fi ure gear'12 by reason of the fact that pin 16 of figure wheel 11 is so assembled as to move upwards and downwards in the slit 17 of the figure gear 12.

As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, a novel ratchet mechanism is incorporated in each of the indicator wheels to be particularly applicable to the numbering machine of this invention. The indicator wheel 68 is provided with a hollow 71 provided in its surface connected to the in dicator gear 62. Said hollow 71 is further out to form a smaller hollow 72 as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19. In said hollow '71 is fitted a slidable pawl 74 having a stopper projection 73 on its inner surface. Within the hollow 72 is placed a coiled spring 75 which is connected to said projection 73 of the slidable pawl 74 at one end and secured to one end of the hollow 72 at the other and is shut with said indicator gear 62. The hollow "71 of indicator wheel 6-8 is shut with the indicator gear 62 so that the pawl 74 is kept in hollow 71 so that its outer surface slidably engages a surface of indicator gear 62. Owing to this spring action, the ratchet mechanism is normally press engaged to the V-shaped groove 67 of the shaft 63. As viewed from FIG. 18, when the shaft 63 is rotated in the counter-clockwise direction, the indicator wheel 68 rotates in the same direction in the state that the pawl 74 engages with the V-shaped groove 67. When the shaft 63 is rotated in the clockwise direction, the pawl 74 gets out of joint with groove 67 and rotates independently. On the other hand, when the indicator wheel 68 is rotated in the counter-clockwise direction, namely in the direction from the letters 0 to 1, 2, 3

9 indicated on the wheel, the pawl 74 is detached from the groove 67, and the wheel 68 rotates together with the figure wheel 11. A clockwise rotation is prevented by the pulling arm 1tl9 engaging with advancing cam which reciprocates with the wheel 11.

The invention will next be described with reference to the novel index means which indicates the predetermined number of repeated impressions. Referring to 98. The ink feeding means 100 comprises a FIGS. 20 and 21 which illustrate front and reverse side perspective views, respectively, of the index means to be employed in the numbering machine of this invention, the index body 81 comprises a hollow portion 82 at its inner side, a lower bent portion 83 and an index surface 85 which forms the bottom of said hollow portion 82 and which is provided with a plurality of small openings 84 identified by the figures of say 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12. As shown in FIG. 21, a supporting plate 87 is secured on the inner side surface of the index body 81 and provided with equally spaced projecting elements 86 86 36 86 of gradually reduced length, which are adapted to engage the reduced portion 13 of the respective figure unit advancing cams 10 cooperating with each figure wheel. The relationship between the projecting elements 86 86 and the cams 10 is found in the means for advancing one unit of a conventional numbering machine. The operation of said means will now be explained briefly. When the letter 9 of t to figure wheel 11 is impressed and then advanced to 0, the projecting element 86 meshing with the cam 10 attached to the figure wheel falls in the reduced portion 13 of said cam 10. As a result, the projecting element 86 which has not been attached to a cam of the next unit advances to the next unit by meshing with said cam 1t As best shown in FIG. 21, the hollow portion 82 is fitted with a sliding plate 91 having the longest projecting element 88 at one end and a guiding knob 90 at its lower portion, which is projected outwardly of the body so as to be operable. Said sliding plate 91 is provided with holes 92 in which a ball or balls 94 are inserted via spring means 9'3 in the manner shown in FIGS. 22 and 23. Said balls are arranged to fit partly in the opening 84. The spacing between the balls is so arranged that always one of the balls comes to fit in a single opening and the ball engaging such one of the openings is visible from the outside so that the number of repetition of impressions of a number may be recognized. The relationship between the index means and the advancing gears 106, 107 and N8 will now be described: When the same letter is intended to be impressed in series, the sliding plate 91 is transferred and set at a predetermined position by means of the guiding knob 90 so that the ball 94 may be seen at the small opening 84 where the letter 0 is indicated on the index surface 35. In this case, the longest projecting element 88 of the sliding plate 91 is transferred so as to touch the peripheral surface of the inner frame 7. The shorter projecting elements 86 86 do not mesh with the cam 19. Therefore the figure wheel 11 impresses the same letter repeatedly as the figure wheel 11 does not rotate at each impression. When numerals are intended to be impressed according to the order 1, 2, the ball 94 is positioned at the small opening 84. In this case, the longest projecting element 88 meshes with advancing gear 106 which is situated at the outermost position, and also projecting element 86, meshes with advancing cam 10 of the first unit, thereby increasing the number of said unit at every impression.

A preferred embodiment of the crank mechanism which operates the above described index means and the ink feeder in accordance with this invention will now be explained. The index body 81 of the index means is axially mounted on a crank shaft 97 each end of which is pivotally connected to one end of each of a pair of opposing cranks 96 which are axially carried by the main shaft 9 inside the inner frame 7. Said cranks 96 engage one end of a pair of opposing crank arms 99 in a coaxial rotation with respect to the crank shaft 97, each of said crank arm being of a hook-shaped configuration and pivoted on the inner wail surface of the frame 1 as at feeder body 1&2 having its ends extending obliquely upwardly, and an ink pad receiver 101. Said upwardly projecting ends of the body 102 are pivotally connected to the other end of each of said crank arms 99. Said body 102 is also asserts I pivotally connected as at 193 to one end of an arm 164 which at the other end pivoted as at M3 on the outer surface of the inner frame 7. Thus, the crank mechanism consists of the cranks 96, crank arms 99, ink feeder arms 104 and the index body 81 and the ink feeding body 102, which are usually located with one another as shown in FIG. 24 and in coo eration function to effect the arranged operation in times of an impression of figures. More particularly, when the inner frame 7 is depressed in the direction of an arrow, the index device 195 and the ink feeding means 160 are rotated in the directions of arrows, respectively, so as not to prevent the numbering operation. The operation of the crank means is as follows: When the inner frame 7 is moved downwards, the cranks 96 goes down accordingly. In this case, the arm 104 pivoted at 103 is forced to move in the same direction, however, said arm 164 makes circular movements around the center portion 193 since the ink feeding means 100 pivoted at one end of arm 184 does not move downwards by the crank arm 99. As a result, the ink feeding means 100 pivoted at the opposite end of arm 104 moves in the direction of the arrow. While the index means is pivoted at one end of the crank arm 99 which in turn is pivoted in frame 1 at point 93 by the crank shaft 97 so that the index means operate correlatively in the direction of the arrow and makes circular movements in the outside direction. When the depression on the knob 6 is released, said index device 165 and the ink feeding means 100 are returned to their original positions by the opposite operation to the aforementioned and at the same time the index device 105 performs a predetermined figure unit advancing operation. In this case, an ink pad mounted on the ink pad receiver 101 is in contact with the impression surface of the figure wheels and ready for the next succeeding numbering operation.

The operation of the numbering machine in accordance with this invention will be described hereinafter. First, the ball partly inserted in one of the openings of the sliding plate 91 is adjusted by moving the knob 90 so that it may come to engage the desired opening 84 which indicates the desired number of impressions of the figures to be repeated. Thereafter, the knob 6 is depressed to move the inner frame 7 downwardly. At the same time, the projecting element 86 of the index device will engage the figure advancing cam 10 thereby advancing one unit of the figure on the figure wheel 11. Then the index device and the ink feeding means 100 are departed from the figure wheel 11 so as to promote the numbering operation by the crank means. In this case the figure on the figure wheel 11 which is ready for numbering can be indicated on the corresponding indicator wheel 68 and may be seen through the Window 70 provided in the front cover 64. When the number of repetition of figure impressions is to be varied, the index device may be swingably departed from the figure advancing cams provided for each figure of the figure wheels and the sliding plate 91 may be moved horizontally by means of the knob 96 to select the desired repetition number. This may be effected by engaging the projecting element 88 of the sliding plate 91 with any one of three advancing gears 106, 107 and 108 which coaxially cooperate with the cams 19 .and which is positioned between the side wall of the inner frame 7 and the figure wheel of the highest figure (the leftmost whee-l in FIG. 2). The particular arrangements and functions of these figure unit advancing mechanisms are substantially identical with those of the prior art device and hence description thereof is omitted.

When the projections of the indicator wheels are rotatingly moved by the finger tip from the outside of the device through the window of the front cover, the rotations of the indicator wheels are transmitted to the corresponding figure wheels via the respective indication gears 62, pinions 6t and figure impression gears 12, thereby positioning the figure wheels at the desired positions. When the figures appearing on the indicator wheels are to be changed so as to be all substituted with zeros, the shaft 63 is rotated in the counter-clockwise direction by the knob 65. Then, due to the pawl 74 engaging the V-shaped groove 67 of the shaft 63, the figure carried by the respective figure wheels gradually becomes 0. By continuously rotating the shaft 63, a row involving the same figure may be obtained in numerical order. This means that a number consisting of the same figure may appear on the impression surface or position of the figure wheels.

As has been described hereinabove, according to this invention, the figures may be positively and easily returned to their 0 poistions and the figure wheel or wheels may, if so desired, be readily retracted and maintained all by a single action. Also, since the type elements can be made by molding or press working, the manufacture of the figure wheels is greatly simplified and the replacement of worn-out type elements can be extremely easily achieved. Further, the provision of the index means which indicates the repetition number of numbering operations can eliminate the possibility of misoperation and misreading of the machine. The crank mechanism has been aiso simplified in accordance with this invention and is proposed to be mounted mainly on the inner frame so that its manufacturing steps can be minimized.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit thereof. It is therefore desired that the present embodiments be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

-1. A numbering machine comprising a frame of an inverted letter U-shaped configuration having a hollow cylinder on the upper portion thereof, an inner cyiinder fitted in said hoilow cylinder via a spring means, a knob mounted on the upper portion of said hollow cylinder, an inner frame secured to the lower portion of said inner cylinder and slidably located in said frame, a main shaft provided inside said inner frame, said shaft having a concave groove along a substantial length of the shaft, said groove being provided on said shaft close to the shaft base right under the axis of the shaft and extending generally in the direction of the axis of said shaft, a figure impression mechanism including sets of a figure wheel advancing cam, a figure wheel and a figure gear all coaxially rotatably mounted on said main shaft, a perforation rotatabiy mounted on said main shaft of said figure wheel being in the form of an oval having a projection which is located at a portion of the greatest diameter of said perforation and which engages with said groove, said figure gear and figure wheel having means to perform an up and down movement of said figure wheel, said advancing cam having a reduced portion at a predetermined portion of the periphery thereof for not impressing the letter 9, an intermediate mechanism comprising intermediate gears each meshing with one of said figure gears of said figure impression mechanism, indication gears corresponding to said figure wheels and which are meshed with said intermediate gears, indicator wheels corresponding to said figure wheels and each secured to one side of each of said indication gears and having ten equally spaced projections, said equally spaced projections defining spacings therebetween to indicate the figures 0 to 9 in numerical order, an indication shaft having a V-shaped groove along its length and pivotally mounting said indicator wheels and indication gears thereon, said indicator wheels, said indication gears and said indication shaft constituting an indication mechanism, a ratchet mechanism provided on one side of each of said indicator wheels and which controls the rotation of each of said indicator wheels through the rotation of said indication shaft, crank means located at the inner sides of said frame and at the outer sides of said inner frame, an index means regulating the number of repetitions of the same impressions in cooperation with said crank means, an ink feeding means which operates responsive to the movement of said inner frame in cooperation with said crank means and which comes in contact with the type elements of said figure wheels during breaks of the numbering operation, and figure unit advancing means to advance the figure wheels as well as to change the figure in response to said index means, after the predetermined number of impressions of the type elements of the figure wheels has been terminated.

2. The numbering machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said ratchet mechanism comprises a first hollow formed in one side of each of said indicator wheels, a second hollow further formed in said first hollow, a pawl slidably fitted to said first hollow and having a projection thereon, said projection projecting into said second hollow, a spring means mounted in said second hollow and press engaging said projection with said indication shaft, an indicator gear provided at one side of said indicator wheel so as not to project said spring out of said hollow, and wherein said indication shaft is provided with a V-shaped groove engageable to the tip end of said pawl.

3. The numbering machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said figure wheels comprises a polygonal base wheel which has fianges on both peripheral edges thereof, a groove formed along the outer periphery of said base wheel and defined by said flanges, and a figure impression belt having ends fitted in said groove and mounted about the periphery of said base wheel, said figure impression belt comprising projections fitted in said groove and type elements positioned on each side of said base wheel and carrying the figures from to 9 in numerical order, said type elements being integrally formed with said belt by molding or press working, said belt being made of a hard material sufficient to be mounted on said base wheel and durable to wear.

4. The numbering machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said figure wheel comprises a decagonal intermediate plate having a dovetail groove in each of the sides and a groove formed in one of the apexes thereof, a figure impression belt mounted about the periphery of said intermediate plate and having equally spaced projections each fitted in said dovetail groove and which carries the figures 0 to 9 each positioned on each side of said intermediate plate and has bent ends fitted in said groove, all of the components of said belt being integrally formed by molding or press working, a pair of side plates of a configuration substantially identical with said intermediate plate, which sandwiches said intermediate plate and have grooves to receive said bent ends of said belt.

5. The numbering machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said figure wheel comprises a decagonal intermediate plate having a dovetail groove in each of the sides, type elements each formed by molding or press working and having a projection to be fitted in said dovetail groove, and a pair of decagonal side plates of a size substantially identical with said intermediate plate and which sandwiches said intermediate plate.

6. The numbering machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said crank means comprises a pair of hookshaped crank arms each pivoted at its central portion to one of the inner surfaces of frame, one end of said crank arms being pivoted to said index means and the other to one end of an ink roller; a pair of cranks axially mounted on said main shaft at the inner sides of said inner frame and pivotally supporting said index means together with one end of said crank arms, and a pair of ink feeding arms each pivotally supported at the inner side of said inner frame and pivotally carrying said ink feeding means with the other end of said crank arms.

7. The numbering machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said index means comprises an index body pivoted with said cranks, an index plate having a hollow portion on the reverse side of said index body and a bent portion at its lower portion and which is provided with a plurality of small perforations which are identified by numerals arranged in numerical order to indicate the number of impressions to be repeated, a supporting plate secured on the inner surface of said index body and having projecting elements which project inwardly from said inner surface of said index body, said projecting elements being equally spaced and of gradually reduced length so as to act as pawls for advancing the unit figure, a sliding plate slidably received in said hollow portion and having the longest projecting element and an operating knob and which is provided with a pair of holes cut in the central portion thereof at a predetermined spacing, said longest projecting element projecting inwardly from one end of said sliding plate, a pair of balls partly inserted in said holes via spring means, whereby either one of said balls may be fitted to a predetermined one of said small perforations as said sliding plate moves.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 739,369 9/1903 Wicht et al. 101-88 1,266,807 5/1918 Hubbard 101-85 1,556,782 10/1925 Glasgow 101110 1,906,019 4/1933 Svensson 10183 2,899,891 8/1959 Nishigori et al. 101-83 3,159,101 12/1964 Dziekan l0179 X FOREIGN PATENTS 577,952 6/1933 Germany.

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner. H. DINITZ, Assistant Examiner. 

